Poster #163 - Arts-Integrated Preschool Relates to Lower Cortisol for Children at Risk via Poverty

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

This between-subjects quasi-experimental study examined child salivary cortisol in a fully arts-integrated versus typical Head Start preschool. Implications concern arts programming as a mechanism for alleviating the impact of poverty-related stress for children facing economic hardship.

Income poverty and correlated stressors tax physiological systems that respond to stress, as indexed by the hormone cortisol (Lupien, King, Meaney, & McEwen, 2001). This physiological tax relates to cognitive, emotional, and physical health problems for economically disadvantaged children (McEwen & Gianaros, 2010). A recent study by our lab suggested physiological benefits of arts classes for children attending Head Start preschool. The present study examines salivary cortisol across the preschool day and change across the year for children attending an arts-integrated versus typical Head Start.

Method

The arts integrated Head Start included in the daily schedule multiple music, dance, and visual arts classes, whereas the comparison Head Start included more limited integration of arts activities into the regular homeroom or early learning classes. The two preschools were located in nearby neighborhoods and matched on key indicators of program quality, including teacher training and teacher-to-child ratio.
Demographic characteristics were similar for the two preschools. Mean child age was 4 years, 1 month (N = 388, arts preschool n = 310, SD = 6.95, comparison preschool n = 78, SD = 5.61). Of children at the arts preschool, 52% were female, and 78% of racial/ethnic minority status. Of those at the comparison preschool, 44% were female, and 79% of minority status. Average family income at the arts preschool was $14,619 (SD = 13,703) with 82% of families poor, and the remainder low-income. Average family income at the comparison pre-school was $17,974 (SD = 12,387), with 69% of the families poor, and the remainder low-income. These demographic variables were included as controls in core analyses.

Results and Discussion

Table 1 displays mean log cortisol at start, middle, and end-of-year time points for children at the two preschools, as estimated by area under the curve (AUC) which is standard for accounting for cortisol output across the day (McHale et. al., 2012). Figure 1 displays this graphically. A repeated-measures MANCOVA assessed the impact of time of year (start, middle, and end) and preschool type (arts-integrated versus comparison) on child salivary cortisol output across the preschool day, with demographic covariates. Multivariate tests showed a significant interaction between time and preschool type (Wilks’ Lambda = .97, F(2,386) = 5.77, p < .05, np2 = .029, power = .867) and a significant interaction between time and child age (Wilks’ Lambda = .98, F(2,386) = 3.27, p < .05, np2 = .017, power = .621). Other main and interaction effects were not significant at p < .05.

Results suggest that child cortisol output across the day was statistically similar for the two preschools at start-of-year but that significant differences emerged midyear and became more pronounced by year’s end. Children at the arts preschool ultimately showed lower cortisol production. Arts programming may help to lower stress levels for young children facing economic hardship.

Authors

• Eleanor Brown, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jessa Malatesta, West chester university
  Presenting Author

• Mallory Garnett, West Chester University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jean-Philippe Laurenceau, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author